‘What!’ Vera looked in amazement at the message on her phone. Ruben? Apparently she had said his name out loud because Bianca, who was sitting opposite her, looked up enquiringly.
‘Who’s Ruben?’ she asked.
‘Oh, no one,’ answered Vera. That wasn’t going to satisfy Bianca. ‘Why are you going so red then?’ she asked teasingly. ‘Spill it!’ Vera stared in confusion at the three words on the screen. Why was he sending her a message after such a long time? ‘Well?’ Bianca persisted.
‘Just someone, but it has been ages since I last heard from him,’ Vera said finally.
‘How are you?’ he had typed. An innocent question. Nevertheless, she did not know how to answer him. She quickly clicked the conversation away. Why had a few words unsettled her so much?
‘Why don’t I know anything about Ruben?’ asked Bianca, who had certainly realized this was not just a fellow student. ‘I don’t know…,’ stammered Vera. ‘We saw each other a couple of times a while ago, but then…’ As she was speaking she felt her mobile phone vibrating. Was that him again? She had to withstand the temptation to look straight away. But she couldn’t resist. She looked at the blushing smiley he had sent her. In her mind’s eye she saw once again how he had always looked at her.
‘Then what?’ Bianca persisted.
‘I saw him in the pub, dancing with someone else.’
Vera turned her attention back to her telephone and typed: ‘Good, and you? Why are you suddenly sending me a message now? Did it come to nothing with that other girl?’ But eventually she sent only: ‘I’m fine’.
‘I miss you,’ he said. Feeling flustered, she looked at her screen. Did he really mean it? She had been very angry and disappointed. She had thought she meant more to him. She had ignored the few messages he had sent to her in the days after. Of course, she had missed him too, but that was then. Now she had Robby.
In a moment of clarity she decided to be honest, so she could shut this down right now.
‘Yes, I missed you too. Back then. But I have a boyfriend now.’
‘I couldn’t help thinking about you…’
Bianca came over and sat beside her. ‘I’d delete that right now,’ she said.
‘Why?’ Vera typed, ignoring Bianca’s advice. Her curiosity was stronger than her anger.
‘I want to see you,’ he replied. Vera looked at the screen in amazement. He missed her. She didn’t dare look Bianca in the face, scared that her blush would give away the fact that the feeling was mutual.